News / Defuse this shipping sector 'timebomb' – lift travel restrictions on seafarers

Time is running out to lift travel restrictions on seafarers and keep global trade moving, the shipping industry has warned.

Around 100,000 crew changes are required every month, according to the International Chamber Shipping (ICS), which called on governments to designate seafarers as key workers and allow them to transit their territories.

However, in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus, ports around the world continue to restrict when crew can disembark, while the collapse in passenger flights has drastically reduced ...